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If you’re craving a cookie that’s soft in the middle, chewy around the edges, and packed with chocolatey goodness, these Chocolate M&M Cookies are it. They start with a box of chocolate cake mix (my favorite shortcut!) and come together in minutes. No chilling, no fuss—just rich, fudgy, bakery-style cookies made easy.
I originally published this post in 2021 and have since added new photos and additional information for success.
I first made these over 20 years ago during a playdate when my kids were young. I needed something quick, fun, and guaranteed to impress a room full of toddlers and their parents—and adding candy to the recipe was the answer.
Rolling chocolate cookies in colorful mini M&M’s turned a simple cookie into something unforgettable. The candy magic is also packed in these M&M Mini Cookies or Chocolate Crunch Cake. Let me show you how easy (and delicious) they are to make!
Grab a bag of holiday M&M’s to make seasonal chocolate cookies. I love using red and green candies for Christmas, red and pink for Valentine’s Day, pastel colors for Easter, red and blue for the 4th of July and orange and brown for Halloween. It is such a fun and easy way to get festive cake mix cookies in no time.
Ingredients Needed
To make this easy 8 ingredient recipe you will start with a chocolate cake mix. A bit more flour is added to ensure a thick cookie. Eggs, melted butter and sour cream bring everything together while vanilla and mini chocolate chips give the dough lots of flavor. The best part in my opinion is the layer of candy coated chocolates on the outside.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step by step Instructions
Whisk together the dry ingredients, then add the eggs, melted butter and sour cream. Mix to combine. Add the mini chocolate chips and stir them into the cookie dough until they are evenly distributed.
Use a large cookie scoop to scoop dough and then roll the cookie dough ball in mini M&M’s.
Place the cookies on a baking sheet and lightly press them into a disc shape.
Bake in a preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet.
Storage and Freezing
Store the chocolate cake mix cookies with M&M’s in an airtight container {or wrapped tightly with plastic wrap} at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Want to save some M&M chocolate cookies for later? Place the cookies in a freezer bag with a layer of wax paper {or parchment paper} between each layer of cookies. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to write the date that you baked them on the bag to help.
Do you love chocolate cookies? Try these recipes–
Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review below and tag @practicallyhomemade on Pinterest!
Chocolate M&M Cookies with a Cake Mix
Ingredients
- 1 box chocolate cake mix , {13.25 ounces} – I like chocolate fudge
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup butter, {melted}
- 2 Tablespoons sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, {or vanilla extract}
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 ½ cups mini M&M candies
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine the cake mix and flour in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the eggs, melted butter and sour cream to the dry mixture and mix using an electric mixer {or by hand} until dry ingredients are totally incorporated. Add the mini chocolate chips and stir until they are evenly distributed.
- Using a large cookie scoop, measure out 12 large cookies {or 20 smaller cookies, using a medium cookie scoop}. Roll each cookie dough ball in the mini M&M's until the outside is totally covered.
- Place the M&M covered cookies onto a silicone mat {or parchment paper} lined baking sheet and press them into a thick disc shape. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are set. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- If you don’t have a cookie scoop, use about 3 1/2 tablespoons of dough for large cookies and 2 tablespoons for smaller cookies.
- To bake smaller cookies, lower the cook time to 9-11 minutes.
- Use holiday M&M’s to make festive cookies for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, 4th of July and Halloween.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The combination of chewy cookie and chocolate coated candies is irresistible.